Islamabad, 20 December 2021 (TDI): At the closing declaration, the Pakistani Foreign Minister highlighted the number of attendees at the Summit and their commitment. He also mentioned that the 37 delegations came to Pakistan to discuss important measures concerning the Afghan issue.
From the P5 special representatives on Afghanistan to the European Union and Japan, Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi thanked them all for their attendance. Also, he thanked Saudi Arabia and OIC members for their trust in Pakistan to host the 17th extraordinary meeting.
OIC Closing Session Highlights
On top of that, the Pakistani minister made several key points regarding the closing session of the 17th Extraordinary Meeting. He said that the OIC attendees listened carefully to the Afghan delegation’s opinion. Thus, the United States representatives showed acknowledgment and some appreciation for the current situation. It reflects a better understanding between them.
He said, “they met and shared points of view that’s a breakthrough.” Therefore, “it was a great opportunity for both”, he added. In addition, Shah Mehmood highlighted the many other bilateral meetings between the Afghan authorities and OIC participants.
Pakistan Minister additional remarks
On the other hand, he presented some of the most relevant points of the OIC Summit deliberations. First, he said there is awareness within the international community that a humanitarian crisis is looming in Afghanistan. Therefore, something must be done to stop it.
Second, if the action of the international community slows down, the Afghan economic collapse will be inevitable. Third, “time is of the essence,” said the foreign minister. Fourth, Shah Mehmood stated that although there are differences of opinion, the 40 million Afghans should be the highest priority.
Fifth, Pakistan Minister pointed out the consequences inside and beyond the region if the Afghan situation is not solved immediately and wisely. That is why he finally said that “helping Afghanistan is a shared responsibility”. It means that Pakistan will not be able to do it by itself if relevant actors do not play an effective role in the matter.
In summary, Minister Shah Mehmood mentioned that OIC members unanimously approved two documents during the OCI extraordinary meeting. The first is the Joint Resolution on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. The second is the Islamabad Declaration on the Palestinian situation.
Hence, “the entire conference expressed unity and support for the Afghanistan people”, Shah Mehmood said. After all, during the final declaration, he emphasized on the international community further work to alleviate the sufferings of Afghan people.
